Wolf Creek Race Management

New York City – Nick Edinger competed in the Armory NYC Indoor Marathon World Record Challenge this afternoon. The race, which featured an elite field from across the country, started around 12:20 PM. Competitors had to run a daunting 211 laps around the 200m, banked Armory track. At roughly the one hour mark in the race, the competitors had to make a tight 90 degree turn at the finish line to switch directions.

Introductions complete and they’re off at the Armory Indoor Marathon World Record Challenge! #WCTC pic.twitter.com/8x4VxvdOz3

— Wolf Creek Race Mgmt (@WolfCreekTC) March 17, 2018

There was a tight pack through the first 20 kilometers of the race, but around the 25k mark Malcolm Richards of San Francisco separated from the pack and broke the race open. Richards continued to pull away from the field and ultimately ended taking the Armory NYC Indoor Marathon crown in a new world record time of 2:19:01.

Edinger held strong in 2nd place for a long time, but had a few rough patches during the race where he fell to 4th and even 5th at times. Edinger, however, was able to battle through the difficult moments and claimed 2nd place in a time of 2:22:06. Edinger’s time was only 18 seconds off tying the previous world record time that was set by Chris Zablocki. Finishing 12 seconds behind Edinger in 3rd place, was Boston Athletic Association’s Brian Harvey in a time of 2:22:18. Eric Blake finished in 4th place in a time of 2:22:35. Former world record holder in the indoor marathon and last year’s event champion, Chris Zablocki, finished 5th in 2:29:13.

Richards will take home $7,000 in prize money, Edinger $2,000, and Harvey $1,000.

Lindsey Scherf claimed the women’s title in a new world record time of 2:40:55 and Caitriona Jennings from Dublin, Ireland finished 2nd in 2:53:11.

All of us at the Wolf Creek Track Club would like to congratulate Nick on a fantastic 2nd place finish against a very strong field of competitors.

 

New York City – Wolf Creek Track Club member, Nick Edinger, of Mars, PA is competing in the Armory NYC Indoor Marathon World Record Challenge hosted by New York Road Runners tomorrow (March 17, 2018) at 12:00 PM Eastern Time at the Armory Track in Manhattan. The race will consist of 211 laps around the banked 200-meter track. Five men will attempt to set a new world record at this event for the 3rd year in a row. The current indoor marathon world record of 2:21:48 belongs to Chris Zablocki of Essex, CT.  Zablocki is one of the five runners competing tomorrow. Nick has run 2:20:32 outdoors so he should certainly be in contention with a good race.  New York Road Runners is offering prize money for tomorrow’s top finishers. The winner will receive a check for $3,000 and an additional $4,000 if he breaks the world record. The second place finisher will receive $2,000 and another $1,000 if he also breaks the previous world record.  The third place runner will receive $1,000. Good Luck Nick!

The race will be Live Streamed.

 

 

* Photo by JL Photography & Design

The Wolf Creek Track Club has signed local elite runner, Nick Edinger, to a two-year contract that runs until January 1, 2020. This is part of the Wolf Creek Track Club’s continued commitment to supporting the growth of running in the region. As club director, Andrew Mascio said, “This is yet another contribution that all of us at WCTC feel is important to make. Local elites are an inspiration to younger runners. The accomplishments of runners like Nick demonstrate that younger runners too can achieve more than they ever thought possible if they work hard and stay dedicated to the sport. Nick is a tremendous role model not only for his success in the sport, but also because he is a man of integrity. We look forward to expanding our club offerings in 2018 and always welcome more runners to join the club.”

Edinger, 26, attended Mars High School where he graduated in 2009. He officially got into running when joined the track team in middle school. As Edinger said, “My first race was the 800m in 7th grade track. I had wanted to do track since I first ran the mile in gym class in 3rd grade. I absolutely loved it! Little did I know how much I would grow to absolutely loath the 800 meters! Way to short of a race for me!” Edinger was good at the local level while at Mars High School but never made states as an individual and wasn’t highly recruited.

After graduating from Mars, Edinger attended Geneva College, where he had a historic career. In college, Edinger said he “fell in love with the sport and was willing to do anything to get faster [and] I was blessed with a brilliant coach who took a long term development approach that allowed me to thrive year after year.” Edinger crushed Geneva’s cross country 8k (4.97 mile) record by posting a career-best time of 24:23 (4:54/mile) in the fall of 2012. Edinger currently holds four additional Geneva College records in the Indoor 3k and 5k and the Outdoor 5k and 10k. In the spring of 2012, Edinger claimed the individual President’s Athletic Conference (PAC) title in the 5k. Edinger regards that 5k race as his most memorable achievement in the sport stating, “My most memorable running achievement so far is finally claiming an official conference championship my senior year in one of my last collegiate races ever. It was my last shot at a conference championship and I had to beat my rival who was an All-American and heavy favorite in order to do it.” Edinger boasts college bests of 14:48 in the 5k and 31:27 in the 10k.

Edinger had improved every year in college and knew he had not yet found his limits so he decided to continue training after to college because as he put it “There was no way I could stop without seeing how good I could be.

Since college, Edinger has elevated his running career to another level. A few of his major post-collegiate accomplishments include: Runner-Up at the USATF National 50k Championships, 3^rd Place at the 2017 Indianapolis Marathon, and 10^th Overall (5^th American) at the 2017 Pittsburgh Marathon. Edinger’s 10K PR is now 30:35 and he boasts impressive personal bests in the marathon (2:20:32), half marathon (1:07:35), and road 8k (24:22). Some of Edinger’s future goals include: securing the USATF Olympic Marathon Trials A Standard, setting the World Indoor Marathon Record, and making the IAAF World Championship 50k Team

When asked about what advice he would give to younger runners, Edinger stated, “Younger runners should train hard and be patient for the training to take effect. It can take years of consistent miles to cause a breakthrough in performance.”

Running has obviously been an integral part of Edinger’s life and has meant a great deal to him as he stated, “Running has given me an avenue to glorify God with the talents he has given me, shown me what true hard work is and what it can lead too, and driven me to find me limits. The perseverance and determination I have learned to put into running has carried over towards my drive to be a better husband and grow in my faith. I can’t wait to see what that drive leads to in other areas of my life when I retire some day from competitive running.”

“I have been incredibly grateful for all the support I have had over the years in my running career, from family and friends to coworkers and Generation UCAN. I have truly been blessed. I am incredibly excited to now be a part of Wolf Creek Track Club as they will be incredibly important in my future running pursuits! Wolf Creek Track Club is committed to growing the sport of distance running in Western Pa and I love that I get to be a part of that.”

The Wolf Creek Track Club is proud to support an athlete of Nick Edinger’s caliber and character. We look forward to a great future together.

Lexington, KY

The Wolf Creek Track Club competed at the USATF Club Cross Country National Championships in Lexington, Kentucky yesterday afternoon. WCTC was the only men’s team representing Pittsburgh and the USATF Three Rivers Association. The men’s 10K race began at 12:30 PM. At the start of the race, it was 31 degrees with winds gusting at 13 mph. As the race progressed, snow started to fall.

The course consisted of a 4K loop followed by two 3k loops. It was a moderate course with two sizable hills per loop. The finish was a 500m uphill climb.

Nick Edinger led the team placing 125th in a time of 32:05 (5:09/mile). His time set a new WCTC record for a cross country 10k. Edinger was followed Josef DiPietrantonio who took 318th in 34:35 (5:33/mile). Placing third for WCTC, was Theo Reynolds who completed the course in 34:41 (5:34/mile) good for 323rd overall. Theo was followed by Brandon Wise who placed 363rd in 35:52 (5:46/mile), while Andrew Mascio rounded out the team’s scoring in 365th place in 35:55 (5:46/mile).  In total, there were 424 finishers in the race.

WCTC placed 45th out of 87 total teams in the event. However, only 49 teams had enough finishers to score. This was the first year in WCTC’s history that the club has competed at USATF nationals.

Tinman Elite won the race with 41 total points, edging out American Distance Project (54 points). Hansons-Brooks Distance Project took third with 92 points. Ian La Mere of Hansons-Brooks claimed the individual crown in 29:10. Emmanuel Bor took second overall in 29:12, followed by Ryan Mahalsky who took third in 29:14.

WCTC is looking to add to their team of elite runners. If you’re interested in joining the club, please contact info@wolfcreektrackclub.com.

Next year, USATF Club Cross Country Nationals will be hosted in Spokane, Washington.

Grove City, PA

On Thanksgiving Day, 150 runners took to the streets of Grove City for the 2^nd Annual Grateful Gallop 5k. The race had participants from Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Maryland, Virginia, New York, and Washington DC. It was a chilly morning, around 30 degrees, when the race started at 9:00 AM.

Jed Christiansen, 30, of Greenville, won the race in a new event record time of 15:18. Jed’s age-graded score was a tremendous 85.08%. His time was also the fastest of any local Thanksgiving race finisher this year. Jed’s brother, Job, 26, of Kent, OH,  finished 2^nd in 17:08. Grove City’s very own, Ryan Budnik, 20, finished 3^rd in 17:13.

Tina Seech, 50, of Pittsburgh, was the top female finisher in 20:50. Tina’s age-graded score was an excellent 79.28%. Tina was closely followed by Kimberly Hohman, 40, of Grove City who finished in 20:55. The third overall female finisher was Elise Hilton, 14, who completed the course in 23:06.

After the race, participants stuck around for the awards ceremony and gift basket raffle. For full race results click here.

The Wolf Creek Track Club would like to extend a special thank you to all the participants and to Dunkin’ Donuts for allowing everyone to use their facilities.

This race supported the Grove City Community Food Pantry. Generous amounts of nonperishable food items were donated and hundreds of dollars were raised for the food pantry.

The Wolf Creek Track Club’s next event will be the Resolution Run 5k on New Year’s Eve in Hermitage, PA.

The Wolf Creek Track Club is looking to take a team to compete at the 2017 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships, which will take place on December 9th in Lexington, Kentucky.

The race is a 10K and will be held at Masterson State Park. We would like to take a men’s and women’s team to compete. Each team will need at least 5 members to be eligible. In order to qualify for USATF Club Nationals, the Wolf Creek Track Club must win the USATF Three Rivers Association Championship, which will be held on November 12th in Youngwood, PA. If you are interested in joining our team, please contact us.

Pittsburgh, PA

The 2017 Gatorade Steelers 5k began this morning at 8am. At the start of the race, the temperature was in the low 60s. Wolf Creek Track Club members, Sean McDonnell and Jack Erickson, competed in the race. The course which traveled along the North Side and finished on Heinz Field was incorrectly measured and ended up being at least 200 meters too long.

McDonnell and Erickson went out at a swift pace clocking 5:01 and 5:05 first miles respectively. McDonnell, 23, of Cranberry Township placed 10th overall out of thousands of runners in the race. McDonnell’s finishing time was 17:18 (5:33/mile), however his true 5k time was about 16:38 when factoring in the long course. Erickson, 23, of Victor, New York claimed 17th place overall in a time of 17:45 (5:42/mile) – more like a 17:03 when adjusted for the long course. McDonnell took 1st place in his age division (20-24), while Erickson was 2nd. This is the first time that McDonnell and Erickson have competed in the Steelers 5k.

Jed Christiansen, 30, of Greenville, PA finished 1st overall in a time of 15:31 (4:59/mile). However, his time would have been about 14:57 if the course had not been long. The top female finisher was Jennifer Bigham, 36, of Pittsburgh who completed the course in a time of 17:41 (5:41/mile) – about a 16:59 adjusted.

Upcoming Wolf Creek Track Club Events: 2nd Annual Premium Outlets 5k

 

Sharon, PA

For the first time in 20 years, the Buhl Half Marathon was held this morning in Sharon, PA. The race started at the 300-acre Buhl Farm Park and then traveled along the Trout Island Trail over the Shenango Valley Dam and eventually into downtown Sharon and then back to Buhl Farm Park for the finishing stretch. The race started at 7am and the temperature was in the mid-50s.

Brandon Wise was in third place through the first mile of the race, but at the 5.5 mile mark he separated from the field and never looked back. Wise averaged 5:48 pace through the 10k mark, split 59:30 through the 10 mile, and finished the race in a time of 1:17:55 (5:57/mile). Wise’s time set a new Wolf Creek Track Club record in the half marathon and is the 2nd best half marathon time of his career. His best time came at the Cleveland Half in 2014 when he ran 1:16:56.

The top female finisher was Danielle Pepe, 27, in a time of 1:26:56 (6:38/mile). There were 107 total participants in the half marathon.

Upcoming WCTC events: 2nd Annual Premium Outlets 5k on September 16th

 

Pictured above from left to right: Brandon Wise, Andrew Medure, Kyle Merber (pro runner), Andrew Mascio

Pittsburgh, PA

A couple of Wolf Creek Track Club runners, Brandon Wise and Andrew Mascio, competed in the “Unstoppable” heat of the GNC Liberty Mile tonight. To qualify for the Unstoppbale heat, runners must have run under a 6 minute mile. At the start of the race, under cloudy skies, there was a slight drizzle, and temperatures were in the mid 70s. The first half mile of the course is slightly uphill on Penn Avenue, while the second half turns onto Liberty Avenue and is all downhill. The GNC Liberty Mile is part of the Bring Back The Mile Grand Prix race series.

In the Unstoppable heat, Andrew Mascio placed 12th out of the field of 67 runners in a time of 4:44, while Brandon Wise finished 15th in 4:54. The winner of the heat was Juris Silenieks in 4:19. Juris, a former Syracuse University runner,  is also widely known in running lore for holding the world record for running a half marathon in dress shoes. The first overall female finisher was Point Park University standout, Anna Shields, who finished in 4:47 good for 13th overall.

In the Pro heat, 2016 Olympian, Ben Blankenship representing the Oregon Track Club claimed the GNC Liberty Mile crown for the second consecutive year by out-kicking the field in a time of 4:05. Kyle Merber, representing Hoka One One and a member of the United States’ world record distance medley relay team, finished 2nd overall in 4:06, edging out Riley Masters who also ran 4:06. The first female was Emily Lipari in a time of 4:35. Lauren Johnson was 2nd in 4:36, while Hannah Fields was 3rd also in a time of 4:36. Last year’s female champion, Heather Kampf, finished 4th overall.

In the Masters heat, Charles Novak claimed the men’s title in 4:45, while Renee Tolan bested the female field in 5:21.

The Wolf Creek Track Club’s next competition will be the St. Barnabas 5k on Saturday, August 5th.

 

 

The Presque Isle Half Marathon kicked off this morning at 6:45. At the start of the race, the weather was near perfect for a mid-summer half marathon with the temperature in the upper 60s.

Ryan Budnik placed 8th overall in a time of 1:19:24.1 (6:03/mile), an improvement of over 1.5 minutes from last year’s finishing time and a new personal best in the half marathon. Budnik was also 3rd in the 20-24 age category. Brandon Wise finished 10th in 1:19:56.8 (6:06/mile), marking his 4th consecutive year of placing in the top 10 at this event. Theo Reynolds finished 11th overall and 2nd in his age group of 25-29 with a time of 1:20:09.2 (6:07/mile).

Simon DeAngelo, racing his first half marathon, finished 19th overall, completing the course in 1:23:27.4 (6:22/mile), while Andrew Mascio was 21st in 1:24:00.0 (6:24/mile).

On the women’s side, Rachel Martin finished 238th overall in 1:48:06.7, while Hannah Steele took 382nd in a time of 1:56:16.3.

There were 1,498 runners registered for the race and 1,279 total finishers. The 1st overall finisher was Matt McWilliams in 1:08.56.7 (5:15/mile) and the first female finisher was Jennifer Picot in 1:22:14.5 (6:16/mile) good for 16th overall.

The Wolf Creek Track Club’s next competition will be the GNC Liberty Mile on Friday, July 28th.